Scaevola plant named ‘Wesscaedia’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of  Scaevola  plant named Wesscaedia, characterized by its cascading and uniformly rounded plant habit; freely branching plant habit; vigorous growth habit; and numerous white and violet blue bi-colored fan-shaped flowers with white-colored centers.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Scaevola aemula cultivarWesscaedia.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Scaevolaplant, botanically known as Scaevola aemula and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar name ‘Wesscaedia’.

The new cultivar is a whole plant mutation of the Scaevola cultivarFancy, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,867. The new Scaevola wasdiscovered and selected as a single plant in a controlled environment inVauvert, France in 2000.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken atSudlohn-Oeding, Germany since 2001, has shown that the unique featuresof this new Scaevola are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations inenvironment such as temperatures, daylength and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and aredetermined to be the basic characteristics of ‘Wesscaedia’ whichdistinguish ‘Wesscaedia’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Cascading and uniformly rounded plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit, dense and bushy plant form.

3. Vigorous growth habit.

4. Numerous white and violet blue bi-colored flowers with white-coloredcenters.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the parent, thecultivar Fancy. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor inSudlohn-Oeding, Germany, plants of the new Scaevola and the cultivarFancy differed in the following characteristics:

1. Leaves of plants of the new Scaevola were darker green in color thanleaves of plants of the cultivar Fancy.

2. Plants of the new Scaevola were more freely flowering than plants ofthe cultivar Fancy.

3. Plants of the new Scaevola had smaller flowers than plants of thecultivar Fancy.

4. Flowers of plants of the new Scaevola were white and violet bluebi-colored whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Fancy were violetblue in color.

Plants of the new Scaevola can also be compared to plants of thecultivar Brilliant, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,099. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Sudlohn-Oeding,Germany, plants of the new Scaevola and the cultivar Brilliant differedin the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Scaevola had longer internodes than plants of thecultivar Brilliant.

2. Leaves of plants of the new Scaevola were darker green in color thanleaves of plants of the cultivar Brilliant.

3. Plants of the new Scaevola had more flowers per inflorescence thanplants of the cultivar Brilliant.

4. Flowers of plants of the new Scaevola were white and violet bluebi-colored with white centers whereas flowers of plants of the cultivarBrilliant were violet blue in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which more accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Scaevola.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof typical plants of ‘Wesscaedia’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of atypical inflorescence of ‘Wesscaedia’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and for the followingdescription were grown under conditions which closely approximatecommercial production conditions during the spring and summer in aglass-covered greenhouse in Sudlohn-Oeding, Germany. Plants were about20 weeks from planting rooted cuttings in 12-cm containers. During theproduction of the plants, the day temperatures ranged from 20 to 25° C.,night temperatures ranged from 16 to 18° C., and light levels rangedfrom 3,000 to 50,000 lux. Plants were pinched about three to four weeksafter planting and then given a second pinch about four weeks later.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Scaevola aemula cultivar Wesscaedia.

Parentage: Mutation of Scaevola aemula cultivar Fancy, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 9,867.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to develop roots.—About four weeks at 22° C.

Rooting habit.—Fine, fibrous, and freely branching.

Plant description:

Plant form and growth habit.—Annular container and garden plant.Cascading and uniformly mounded plant habit; eventually plants becomeroughly spherical in shape. Suitable for hanging basket, window box andpatio containers. Freely branching with lateral branches potentiallyforming at every vegetative leaf axil when pinched; dense and bushyplant form. Vigorous growth habit.

Plant height (soil level to top of plant plane).—About 23 to 26 cm.

Plant length (soil level to apices of lateral branches).—About 60 to 75cm.

Stem description.—Lateral branch length: About 22 to 29 cm. Lateralbranch diameter: About 3.1 mm. Main branch length: About 53 cm. Mainbranch diameter: About 5.2 mm. Internode length: About 2.6 cm. Texture:Sparsely pubescent. Color: 146B overlain with 166A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple; sessile. Length:About 5.5 to 8 cm. Width: About 1.5 to 2.8 cm. Shape: Spatulate. Apex:Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Irregularly serrated, slightly serratedtowards base and more strongly serrated towards apex. Texture, upper andlower surfaces: Pubescent, rough and somewhat leathery. Color:Developing leaves, upper surface: 147A. Developing leaves, lowersurface: 146B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 147A. Fullyexpanded leaves, lower surface: 146A. Venation, upper surface: 147A.Venation, lower surface: 146A.

Flower description:

Flower type and shape.—Zygomorphic, semi-circular, fan-shaped flowerswith five petals fused at the base to form a tubular flower throat.Flower throat open along the upper surface exposing reproductive organs.Flowers persistent. No fragrance detected.

Flower arrangement and quantity.—Solitary flowers arise from leaf axilswith one flower per axil. Flowers held outwardly on upturned lateralapices. Freely flowering, typically about ten to twelve open flowers perinflorescence.

Flowering time.—Plants flower continuously from May until frost. Flowerstypically last at least four days on the plant.

Flower buds.—Shape: Lanceolate. Length: About 5 to 22 mm. Diameter:About 1 to 3 mm. Color: 146C to 146D becoming closer to 145A to 145Bwith development.

Perianth.—Aspect: Fan-shaped, flat. Length, fan: About 3 cm. Width, fan:About 1.6 cm.

Petals.—Quantity: Five, fused at base. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex:Cuspidate. Margin: Entire. Length, above tube: About 1.6 cm. Width,above tube: About 6 mm. Length, tube: About 1.3 cm. Diameter, tubeopening: About 4 mm. Diameter, tube: About 2 mm. Texture, upper andlower surfaces: Smooth; flower throat, whiskered. Color: When opening,upper surface: Center, 155D; margins, 90A to 90C. When opening, lowersurface and tube: Center, 145A to 155D; margins, 90A to 90C. Fullyopened, upper surface: Center, 155D; margins, 90C to 90D; towards base,155D; venation, 150D. Fully opened, lower surface and tube: Center, 145Ato 145D to 155D; margins, 90D; venation, 145A to 145D. Throat: 151A to151B; venation not visible. Tube: 145C to 160C; venation, 145A.

Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: One large sepal, two smaller sepalslateral to larger sepal. Length: Larger sepal, about 1.36 cm; lateralsepals, about 7 mm. Width: Larger sepal, about 3.6 mm; lateral sepals,about 1 mm. Shape: Larger sepal, lanceolate; lateral sepals, acicular,needle-like. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lowersurfaces: Leathery, slightly pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces:147A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower: About five.Anthers: Shape: Oval. Length: About 1.8 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.Color: 11A to 166A. Pollen: Sparse. Pollen color: 166A. Gynoecium:Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.6 cm. Stylelength: About 1.1 cm. Style color: Towards the base, 144D; towards theapex, N79. Stigma shape: Elongate. Stigma color: 155A to 157A. Ovarycolor: 144A to 144B.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Scaevola have been noted tobe resistant to pathogens and pests common to Scaevola.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Scaevola have been observed tobe tolerant to temperatures ranging from 2 to 30° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Scaevola plant named Wesscaedia, asillustrated and described.